~1935 Paramount Theatre Owned by Wilby-Kincey Service Corp. of Atlanta, H.F. Kincey, President. They had over 80 theaters in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia.

After the Uptown Theatre closed in 1965 or 1969,Downtown Durham had four operating movie houses…..
1. Carolina Theatre(Roney and Morgan Streets)

Center Theatre(East Chapel Hill Street next to the Post Office)

The Rialto(Corner of East Main Street and South Roxboro Street)

The Criterion(Corner of East Parrish and Church Streets)

In 1965,the Center Theatre closed its doors and move to the suburbs by November of 1966 to Lakewood Shopping Center where the “New” Center Theatre opened on Thanksgiving week in 1966. The original theatre Downtown was demolished in 1967 to make way for the Mutual Savings and Loan Building.

By 1970,the Rialto closed it doors forever,leaving only 2 operating movie-houses located in Downtown Durham,which was the Carolina and the Criterion(The Rialto was demolished by 1974,and soon after around the corner was the Criterion by 1976 to make room for the Durham County Judicial Building which opened its doors to the public and all of Durham in 1978).

By 1975,when the Criterion closed its doors,the Carolina Theatre was the only movie theatre operating in Downtown Durham. To this day,the Carolina Theatre was the only establishment where you could see a movie Downtown. The Carolina Theatre stands as one of the last of the Downtown moviehouses that is still in operation.